Hearn wants O'Sullivan to name names after lifting the lid on match-fixing scandal by saying: 'Plenty have something to hide!'

Ronnie O’Sullivan has been warned to name names or risk a disrepute charge after claiming that match-fixing is widespread in snooker.

Stephen Lee, a five-time ranking event winner and former world No 5, was found guilty of seven corruption charges by a tribunal on Monday and is expected to be banned for life next week.

But world champion O’Sullivan took to Twitter to claim that Lee isn’t alone. He told his followers: ‘No need to worry if you got nothing to hide. But plenty of people have got loads to hide. That’s why there is no free speech.

Stephen Lee has been found guilty of match-fixing charges

‘I’ve heard there are many more players who throw snooker matches. I suppose Steve Lee was just caught out.

‘They will probably fine me for talking about it. They don’t like you doing that. Like to keep things under the carpet.’

But
World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn responded angrily, suggesting that
O’Sullivan, 38, may be in breach of the rules himself if he is
withholding information impacting on the integrity of the sport.

Hearn
said: ‘If he has names and he knows of incidents he has an obligation
and a duty to report them and failure to do so will put him in breach of
his player’s contract.

Controversial claim: World champion Ronnie O'Sullivan

‘World
Snooker will be writing to Ronnie to say that under his player’s
contract it is his responsibility to report any incidents he’s aware of.

‘There’s
no point in making vague announcements. If he knows something he has a
responsibility to be specific and World Snooker will be writing to him
on that basis.

‘I don’t know what’s behind his tweets. Sometimes there’s nothing behind them and sometimes there is. It’s for him to tell us.

‘He’s
either got to say, “Actually I don’t know anything”, or if he knows
something then he has a responsibility to tell us and if he doesn’t tell
us then he could be brought into disrepute.’

But
in response to Hearn’s threat, O’Sullivan tweeted: ‘No concrete
evidence of match-fixing in snooker. But just like everyone who works in
an office they have a good idea who’s sha**ing who.’

Leading man: Lee is one of the top players in world snooker

World
Professional Billiards and Snooker Association chairman Jason Ferguson
was also stung by O’Sullivan’s accusations that they turn a blind eye to
cheating.

He said: ‘It is
very disappointing to read. Ronnie has said we like to brush things
under the carpet; the Lee case has shown exactly the opposite.

‘The
CPS decided not to press criminal charges. It would have been very easy
to let it go but we are determined to stamp this out. We have to have a
clean sport. We monitor betting markets the world over and I can tell
you it is not widespread. It would show up as widespread and it
doesn’t.’

There was little surprise at Lee’s demise among other players, with most suspecting the player had been ‘at it’.

After
bans for Quinten Hann and Joe Jogia for agreeing to things they never
executed, Lee seems almost certain never to play professional snooker
again.

World No 1 Neil
Robertson said: ‘This is going to at the very least be a long ban for
Stephen Lee and that is important as a deterrent.

‘We
have to show there is zero tolerance on match-fixing, frame-fixing. A
guy has been found guilty of cheating and faces a life ban. The sport is
doing something about it.’